The Oyster Charter

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[align=center][b][color=#9b838d][size=250][font=shrikhand, Courier New]The[/font][/size][/color][/b][/align]
[align=center][b][color=#9b838d][size=400][font=shrikhand, Courier New]Oyster[/font][/size][/color][/b][/align]
[align=center][b][color=#9b838d][size=350][font=shrikhand, Courier New]Charter[/font][/size][/color][/b][/align]
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[center][i]The Commonwealth of Oyster Rock[/i][/center]

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[center]"The World Is Your Oyster"[/center]

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[tr][td]Government[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td][b]President:[/b][/td][td]Carolina Oysterbaby[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][b]Governor of 
the Commonwealth:[/b][/td][td]Rocky Oysterbaby[/td][/tr]
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[tab=20][size=200][font=Courier New][b]ARTICLE I: Preamble[/b][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section I[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]The Colony of Oyster shall have all the authority of a local, self-governing district, and shall have the powers of legislation in relation to its colonial function. The Colony shall maintain the power to enact ordinances, and to regulate the execution of those ordinances, by the usage of fines, forfeitures, or penalties, not exceeding the amount of 225 rocks.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section II[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]It is illegal for any person to hold more than one office, or position of profit, whether elective, or appointive, under the Colony of Oyster. Additionally, no candidate shall hold office, or position of profit, while holding any other office, or position of profit, in, or under the government of the Oyster Rock, of the Commonwealth of Oyster Rock, or of any other country, with the exception of offices and postings in the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Oyster Rock.[/font][/size][/tab]
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[size=200][font=Courier New][b]ARTICLE II: Legislative Authority[/b][/size][/font]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section I[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]The Colony of Oyster shall utilize the legislative power granted by the Commonwealth exclusively by means of an elected Council, consisting of fourteen members.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section II[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]The Council shall be elected from Oyster, including Fort Oyster. The terms of members of the Council shall be four years from the first last Friday of September, following the year in which they were elected.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section III[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]A councilmember shall be a citizen of the Oyster Rockian Commonwealth, and shall be at least twenty-five years of age when elected to office. For at least one year prior to their election, all councilmembers shall be, and shall remain, residents of the districts from which they were elected.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section IV[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]Each member of the Coucil shall receive a salary, per annum, at the rate of the average standard living wage in the Empire, and the Council Speaker shall receive in addition a salary, at the rate of 〄750.00 per year.[/font][/size][/tab]
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[size=200][font=Courier New][b]ARTICLE III: Legislative Processes[/b][/size][/font]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section I[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]All legislative acts and policies of the Council shall be issued in the form of an ordinance, and shall begin with the words: "The Council of the Colony of Oyster hereby establishes in this ordinance:".[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section II[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]All ordinances shall first be introduced by bill. Additionally, ordinances shall contain not more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section III[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]The meetings of the Council shall at all times be open and accessible to the public. All bills shall first be presented and considered at public hearings, and copies of the bill shall be made available to members the public upon request.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section III[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]No bill shall be elevated to the status of ordinance unless a majority of all the councilmembers have voted in its favor.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section IV[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]After its public introduction, either as reported, or amended, all bills shall remain on the floor for at least 1 week prior to the final vote. No bill shall be so altered or amended during its passage as to change its original purpose.[/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section V[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]All bills ratified by the Council shall be directed to the [i]Governor of the Commonwealth[/i] for approval. If the [i]Governor[/i] approves of the bill, they shall sign it, whereupon, it shall become ordinance. If the [i]Governor[/i] disapproves of the bill, they shall return it to the Council, alongside the reasons for the the disapproval, no less than ten days after it is received by the [i]Governor of the Commonwealth[/i]. If the [i]Governor of the Commonwealth[/i] does not return the rejected bill within the time required, it shall become ordinance regardless, without the [i]Governor[/i]'s approval. The [i]Governor[/i] may reduce any items of any bill, except to the items in bills which establish or amend the colonial annual operating budget, or the items in bills which the [i]Oyster Rockian Board of Ethics[/i] has designated as essential.[/font][/size][/tab]
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[size=200][font=Courier New][b]ARTICLE IV: Referenda[/b][/size][/font]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section I[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New]During each Council election, 2 to 5 referenda shall be posed to voters for direct election. These referenda, if approved by the constituents of Oyster, shall become official ordinance, bearing the same weight as ordinances passed by the Council, and [i]Governor[/i].[/font][/size][/tab]
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[size=200][font=Courier New][b]ARTICLE V: Referenda Approved by the Constituents[/b][/size][/font]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section I: [b]OY-R1[/b] - Ban on Surveillance Cameras[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[size=170][font=Courier New]We, the citizens of the Colony of Oyster, under the jurisdiction of [i]Governor[/i] Rocky Oysterbaby, do draw on the powers vested within the Charter of Oyster, to ban the usage of surveillance cameras in order to protect civil liberty, and privacy interests. Accordingly, The Colony of Oyster shall not consider the usage of video surveillance.[/font][/size]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section II: [b]OY-R2[/b] - On Wage Practices[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[size=170][font=Courier New]We, the citizens of the Colony of Oyster, under the jurisdiction of [i]Governor[/i] Rocky Oysterbaby, do draw on the powers vested within the Charter of Oyster, to call upon the [i]General Court of Oyster Rock[/i] to raise the minimum employment wage, in such a way so that it reaches 〄20 ORR an hour ($26.56 USD), by Quarter 1 of 2027, and to immediately create and pass legislation to defend all Oyster Rockers and Commonwealth residents from wage discrimination, in order to allow all working persons to be able to avoid poverty, and afford the basic necessities of life.[/font][/size]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section III: [b]OY-R4[/b] - On Stop & Frisks[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[size=170][font=Courier New]We, the citizens of the Colony of Oyster, under the jurisdiction of [i]Governor[/i] Rocky Oysterbaby, do draw on the powers vested within the Charter of Oyster, to call upon the [i]Oyster Colony Police Department[/i] to eliminate the practice of unwarranted stop and frisks, meaning that an officer shall be required to declare reasonable suspicion that a person is engaged in criminal activity in order to stop that person, and, further posets that is unlawful for any officer of the law to stop someone due to their race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, biological sex, sexuality, or religious affiliation, or other characteristics based in prejudiced biases.[/font][/size]
[tab=20][size=170][font=Courier New][i]Section IV: [b]OY-R5[/b] - On Cannabis[/i][/font][/size][/tab]
[size=170][font=Courier New]We, the citizens of the Colony of Oyster, under the jurisdiction of [i]Governor[/i] Rocky Oysterbaby, do draw on the powers vested within the Charter of Oyster, to call upon the [i]General Court of Oyster Rock[/i], and the [i]President of Oyster Rock[/i], to create and pass legislation that will decriminalize, regulate, and tax the use, and sale of cannabis for non-medical purposes to adults, above the age of 18, within the Colony of Oyster, excluding the grounds of Fort Oyster.[/font][/size]
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[align=center][b][color=#b5aab1][size=350][font=shrikhand, Courier New]The Commonwealth of[/font][/size][/color][/b][/align]
[align=center][b][color=#b5aab1][size=400][font=shrikhand, Courier New]~ Oyster Rock ~[/font][/size][/color][/b][/align]
[img]https://www.nationstates.net/images/banners/uploads/oyster_rock_660923.jpg[/img]

[b][color=#b5aab1][size=150][font=shrikhand, Courier New]This message was[/font][/size][/color][/b]
[b][color=#b5aab1][size=150][font=shrikhand, Courier New]brought to you by:[/font][/size][/color][/b]
[b][color=#9b838d][size=200][font=shrikhand, Courier New]The Administration of[/font][/size][/color][/b]
[b][color=#9b838d][size=200][font=shrikhand, Courier New]President Carolina Oysterbaby[/font][/size][/color][/b]

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